That we should reach the year 1989 surprises some of us. In just eleven more years, the number will be 2000. When we add to this the 4000 years B.C., the number becomes 6000. All this magnifies the long-suffering patience of God with His rebellious creature, man.
In various ways and in different dispensations, God has worked to bring blessing to man. God is rich in mercy and does not desire to judge, but those who reject His Word and choose their own willful way, He will judge.
This dispensation, which we call the grace of God, has been longer than any other. God tested man in Innocence, under Conscience, Authority, Promise, Law and now Grace. Finally, there will be the kingdom of 1000 years.
With these figures before us, we now turn to what Peter wrote in his second Epistle. "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." The next verse says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness: but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Peter heard the Lord speak those words recorded in John 14, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where 1 am, there ye may be also." This is a promise and as Peter writes. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise." No, the Lord is waiting His own time and He will come on time. Just as certainly as He came on time the first time, so He will the second time. Gal. 4:44But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4) tells us, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.”
The end of Gen. 1 states, "And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Gen. 2 goes on to say, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”
To draw together these verses in Genesis about creation with what we have written concerning the dispensations, we call attention to Acts 15:1818Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:18). "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." It is James that makes this remarkable observation just after he quotes from the prophet Amos. Amos closes with a wonderful prophecy about the kingdom, the 1000 years.
We conclude that God at the very beginning of His book, in the six days of creation and then the seventh day of rest, is presenting to us a figure or picture of these 6000 years—a day in His sight as 1000 years. Following this will be 1000 years when Christ has all under His control as a Man who is God manifest in the flesh. Righteousness will reign and God will have His rest as He sees a perfect Man in full control of a perfect government on the earth.
With these thoughts in mind, we surely are interested in our calendar, but hasten to say that we do not, we cannot set dates. We only desire to draw attention to the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again we would say that anyone who sets a date for the Lord to come beyond today is wrong in spirit.
Ed.